So as some of you know, outside the U.S. it's not terribly unusual for a series to have a whole bunch of scheduled episodes, then go on a break of indeterminate length, and then come back. (Dr. Who comes to mind, as do a handful of British comedies.)

American contra grew from English (and possibly French) dancing, and I'm borrowing a page from them. In light of recent developing scheduling difficulties, Steve and I are announcing a suspension of the Friday Flourishes. We've put up 104, and while we've enjoyed doing them very much, scheduling for them is becoming more challenging than we can handle on a regular basis (see: Steve going to night school and my gaining full-time employment with a long commute during the day).

The blog lives on, though. Hope some of you stick around and read. And for those who don't, thank you for supporting Steve and me over the last two years and do subscribe to the YouTube channel or Like us on Facebook -- we will post any new videos there when they come about.

I'm really proud of the work we've done, and I would like to do a few more videos, at least, before we roll up the portable dance floor and retire the little point-and-shoot for good; there were some ideas I had for videos that never got fleshed out fully enough to shoot, and flourishes we never quite got camera-ready, and I would still like to do them.

This week's flourish is a swing flourish that was recently pulled on me by a dancer at Glen Echo one week. It doesn't take up a whole lot of room beyond a regular swing and can be led quite handily from a barrel swing with a capable partner. (It is also a fairly easy flourish to refuse from the follow's perspective -- just don't grab the lead's hand and zie can't spin you out this way.)

As usual, beware of shoulder/arm issues, dizzy issues, and space issues; sometimes there just isn't room to twirl out, with either hand.

This flourish is a way to smooth out an edge in some contras -- the one where you go from a ladies' chain to a move -- like long lines forward and back, or a circle -- that requires the follow's left hand to be in the lead's right. (It's also handy for times when the lead is having shoulder issues, or just wants to do something a bit different.) Cautions are the same as for a normal ladies' chain twirl; be aware of shoulder issues/people who don't want to be twirled/etc.

This week's flourish comes to us from Aimee Steussy of the Glen Echo dance community. This adds an extra twirl into a mid-swing release by grabbing your partner's elbow and sending the spin back the other way.

Be sure you have enough space for this flourish and that your partner does not have arm, elbow, or shoulder issues.

This week's flourish is one we were reminded of at the Flurry this year -- caller Ron Buchanan has frequently taught this variant on getting into a swing when he has called at Glen Echo, among (several) other places.

It's a fairly simple flourish, but it can be a lot of fun -- just, leads, when you drop your follow's hand behind your head, make sure her hand doesn't inadvertantly land directly on the back of your neck...that can be really uncomfortable for everyone involved if it's a few dances in and everybody's been working up a bit of a sweat....

This week's flourish is a simpler one that Steve has seen in a few different geographic spots around the country. It's a variant on an allemande that can add a little fun to the move. Just make sure you're paying attention to where you need to be and get there when you need to be there.

Be careful with putting your follow's hand behind her back, as she's going to be the one to control its height (no wrenched shoulders!). At any point, the follow should be able to drop the hand and step away if (s)he wants/needs.

When she goes to duck under the lead's arm, the follow needs to make sure she will clear the arm and clear the lead's body with her head. Otherwise this can get super-awkward. (Not recommended if the person dancing the follow/lady's role is significantly taller than the person dancing the lead/gent's role as the proportions get a bit odd.)

This flourish is adapted from a flourish in on of Frank Hsieh's Scout House (MA) videos. It's a blind twirl into a swing which can be really neat once you've got the muscle memory. A few caveats, however: 1) make sure you have enough room; since there's a blind twirl for both of you, you need to be extra sure you have enough room (we are not aiming for giving folks black eyes -- it's so not worth it); 2) make sure your follow does not have arm/shoulder issues; this one is likely better done with a partner you know well; and 3) with all that said, it's still a fun flourish in the right conditions.

This project has concluded as of mid-2013 (with an epilogue posted mid-2016) but we hope to see you soon on a contra dance floor! Meanwhile, head over to our Facebook page for upcoming techno contra events and other items of interest.

Author

I dance with abandon. I play with glowsticks. I look for music that is conducive to one or both. I play behind cameras. I write about all of the above. I'm based in Glen Echo's contra dance community outside of Washington, D.C., but I'm happy to go dance afield when I can. Lather, rinse, repeat. Always repeat.